Apparatus and method for an oral nicotine dispensing system

Abstract

An apparatus and method for an oral nicotine dispensing system. The apparatus includes storing a plurality of a pods in a magazine within a body, receiving a fingerprint scan from a user via a fingerprint scanner coupled to the body, authenticating the fingerprint scan, de-activating a locking mechanism to allow access to at least a pod upon successful authentication of the fingerprint scan, and dispensing, using at least a drive mechanism, the at least a pod from the magazine through an opening of the body.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for dispensing of oral nicotine pods, wherein the apparatus comprises:
 a body;   a magazine assembly disposed within the body and comprising:
 a magazine having a wheel shape, comprising: an inner cylinder, a plurality of spokes extending radially from the inner cylinder, and a plurality of compartments formed between the plurality of spokes such that a single compartment is defined by a space between adjacent spokes; 
 a pod disposed in a compartment; and 
 a lock disk coupled to a base of the inner cylinder; 
   a magnet;   a drive mechanism coupled to the magazine assembly and configured to guide at least one pod of the plurality of pods into a dispensing position; and   an aperture located on the body and configured to allow for dispensing of the at least one pod from the dispensing position to an exterior environment,   wherein the magazine assembly further comprises a ferrous component and the magnet is positioned to interact with the ferrous component to convert the locking disk from a locked to an unlocked state and vice versa.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the drive mechanism comprises a motor, a power source, and a circuit board. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the power source comprises at least one of a battery or a piezoelectric hammer starter. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the power source is included in the magazine assembly and is disposed to make contact with the apparatus upon insertion of the magazine assembly. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the body further comprises an access restriction mechanism including at least one of a radio frequency chip or a biometric sensor. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the body is formed in a cylindrical shape. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the aperture is formed in a base wall of the cylindrical shape. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the aperture is formed in a circumferential wall of the cylindrical shape. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the magnet is a cylindrical magnet disposed axially within the inner cylinder of the magazine. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the lock disk is sprung away from the magazine by flexing of a spring arm. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the lock disk comprises the ferrous component. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the magazine assembly comprises a plurality of pods, and wherein each of the plurality of pods is disposed in one of the plurality of compartments. 
     
     
         13 . A method for oral nicotine pod dispensing, the method comprising:
 providing a dispenser comprising a magnet;   providing a magazine assembly, the magazine assembly comprising:   a magazine having a wheel shape, comprising: an inner cylinder, a plurality of spokes extending radially from the inner cylinder, and a plurality of compartments formed between the plurality of spokes such that a single compartment is defined by a space between two adjacent spokes;   a pod disposed in a compartment;   a lock disk coupled to a base of the inner cylinder; and   a ferromagnetic component;   inserting the magazine assembly into a body of the dispenser, wherein the insertion causes the magnet to interact with the ferromagnetic component to convert the lock disk from a locked to an unlocked state; and   subsequently dispensing the pod from the magazine through an aperture in the body.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the magazine assembly comprises a plurality of pods, and wherein each of the plurality of pods is disposed in one of the plurality of compartments. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the body is formed in a cylindrical shape. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the aperture is formed in a base wall of the cylindrical shape. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the aperture is formed in a circumferential wall of the cylindrical shape. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the magnet is a cylindrical magnet disposed axially within the inner cylinder of the magazine.